109
PAPERS OF :MIRABEAU BuoNAPARTE LAMAR
nation awoke to a frenzy of joy. Thousands rushed to his stand- a,r'ds ; and he soon found himself surrounded and followed by a mighty multitude like another Moreles. The unnatural crimes and awful perfidies which had stained his career for years were-for- gotten or forgiven in the glorious prospects of a certain and speedy Independence.-No one doubted of success. Neither did any one suspect the sincerity of the new Champion of freedom; but all were willing to confide their destines into his hands. Guerrero resigned to him the Chief Command; and Iturbede being now recognised as the leader of the Revolution, with the entire confidence of the party, published on the 24th of February 1821, what is known in history as the "Plan of Ig1tala," so called on account of the town where the e¥ent took place. In this document he sets forth the fundamental principals of his new order of things. The nation was to be Inde- pendent; the Government was to be a representative Monarchy, and the crown to be tendered to Ferdinand or some of the Royal family; the Catholic Religion was to be maintained to the exclusion of all other forms of worship; the European Spaniards were to have equal rights with the Creoles; and all persons then in office, whether Royalists or Republicans, were to retain their stations on condition of their adhering to this plan. Such were the leading features of the System proposed by this new defender of his country's liberty; and one better adapted to the times & circumstances could hardly haye been devised. It was, indeed, a work of great policy and wis- dom. The Creoles though not satisfied with some of its features; were reconciled to it, because it asserted unequivocally the Independ- ence of the nation. The preservation of the Catholic Religion was acceptable to all classes, and especially to the clergy, whose influence was unbounded. The tender of the crown to the Royal family; the personal security and equality of rights guaranteed to the Spaniards, and the profered retention of all incumbents in office, were well cal- culated to soften the asperities of party and to bring the various classes into conciliation and union. These three great objects - Inde- pendence, Religion and the Union of the Spaniards and the Creoles, were called "The Three G1wrantees"; and the army which was to uphold and· sustain them were to be called "The Army of the Three Guarantees." A copy of the plan, as soon as published, was forwarded to Apadoca; and this was the first intimation which the Viceroy re- ceivd. of the disaffection of his treacherous instrument. The war was now fairly open ; with Iturbede for the people and the viceroy for the King. The Insurgent party, however, 'l'rnS sit- uated very differently in this new struggle to what it was in the first. Hidalgo was a sacerdotal, sufficiently gifted by nature, but without any military experience or knowledge of Government. Neither had he the requisite means of war. He lead an ignorant and unpro- vided army of tumultuous Indians, without arms, without organiza- tion and without competent officers. His defeat was a natural con- sequence. 'But now we find in the field, a military Chieftans renowned in arms, at the head of a well-disciplined forces, abundantly provided and composed of intelligent people, equal in skill and valor to the foe, and doubly inspired by the justice of their cause. Success·cannot fail
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